E. Marshall Woodall

E. Marshall Woodall, 87 of Lillington, NC, died peacefully in his home on June 16, 2025, with his beloved wife of 67 years, Gladys Johnson Woodall, by his side. He poured himself into his community, his church, and his family. He lived a life of  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control. 

Marshall grew up as the oldest of two boys on the family tobacco farm in Angier, NC. His family attended Neill’s Creek Baptist Church where he met his lifelong love. He graduated from Angier High School in 1956 and enjoyed his last class reunion a week before he died. He attended UNC-Chapel Hill and graduated with an undergraduate accounting degree and a law degree. He married Gladys, his childhood sweetheart, just before Christmas of his sophomore year of college. They lived in Chapel Hill but came home every Wednesday night for choir practice and every Sunday morning for church. 

After law school, Marshall returned home where he practiced law in Lillington for more than 50 years. He epitomized the virtues of a hometown, country lawyer who offered wise and thoughtful counsel in many areas of law. He prepared tax returns, presided over real estate closings, guided clients through estate planning, served as the county tax attorney, taught business law at Campbell University, represented the Town of Coats and Harnett County in various legal matters, advocated for children in the Social Services System, and simply did what he believed was right and beneficial for his community. After he closed his private law practice, he served as Clerk of Court, a magistrate, and the attorney for the Department of Social Services. 

Marshall actively participated in his community and he showed respect, honor, and compassion to all. He remained involved in the Lillington Kiwanis Club for many years and at one point served as its chair. He worked tirelessly for local, State, and national political candidates who he believed would serve the community best. He and his brother, Harold, spent considerable time tracing the Woodall and Fish family lineage at a time before computers made such a search quick and easy. They enjoyed hosting a reunion to share their search with their extended family. Hosting family gatherings was as natural to Marshall and Gladys as going to church. 

It seemed Marshall chaired every church committee at some point in his life with the possible exception of the WMU!  He served on the Diaconate for years, often as its chair, as well as the Board of Trustees. He taught the men’s Sunday School class for decades and sang in the choir until his dementia made it difficult. He spent many years on the Harnett County Cemetery Association Board, several as its chair, as well as the Neill’s Creek Cemetery Committee. 

Marshall was a Tarheel born and a Tarheel bred. He attended home football games for almost 30 years. He cheered the Tarheels to victory and agonized with them in their losses. He watched games on the television, but as a true Tarheel, he listened to Woody Durham on the radio for the play-by-play action, much to the chagrin of his grandsons since the radio commentary usually foretold by a couple of seconds what the television displayed. He enjoyed reading, quail hunting in his younger days with his English setters, walking the farmland, restoring the pastures, and tending the cows who seemed to always take down the fences while he was in court, leaving the task of rounding the strays back into the pasture to others.

Marshall’s greatest joy and legacy is his family and friends. He delighted in being a husband, a daddy, a granddaddy, a son, a brother, an uncle, a nephew, a cousin, and a friend. His love for us was gentle and steady, deep and strong. It was as sure as the morning that starts every day and was with us no matter what life brought our way. He cheered when we were right and he forgave us when we were wrong. He fought the good fight, he finished the race, he kept the faith.  We will remember him with gratitude and love.

Marshall is survived by his devoted wife and caregiver, Gladys, his two daughters, Cindy Avrette (David) and Marsha Rogge (Les), his grandchildren Seth Avrette (Hillary), Zachary Avrette (Meredith) and Matthew Avrette, his sisters-in-law Shelby Woodall and Carol Hart, his brother-in-law Carl Johnson (Laverne) and many nieces and nephews and cousins. He joins in heaven his parents, Bert and Mozelle Woodall, and his brother, Harold Woodall. 

There will be a celebration of Marshall’s life at Neill’s Creek Baptist Church, 4200 Neill’s Creek Road, Angier, NC on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. His burial will follow the service in the Neill’s Creek Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends immediately before the service from 2:30 to 3:45. 

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Neill’s Creek Baptist Church Renovation Fund, 4200 Neill’s Creek Road, Angier, NC 27501. 

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